Pendleton and La Grande, Oregon

10 Depot in La Grande - I had been here before, but it has been a while. This time I ordered the Thai Salad with Chicken and peanut sauce dressing. I am sad to say that I was disappointed. There was nothing really Thai about the salad and the dressing was really lacking in flavor. The salad consisted of lettuce, bell peppers, carrots, celery, and onion with a grilled chicken breast on top. If I had just ordered a garden salad it would have been perfect. I will likely go back as there are few decent restaurants in La Grande, but I will be sure to orer something different.

Prodigal Son in Pendleton -  This is the newest brewery to come to Eastern Oregon. I was really bummed that they were out of their IPA as I was really looking forward to trying it, however I ended up with a really good rye beer instead. It was mildly hoppy, with a nice smooth taste of rye. One of the best rye beers I have tried (other than that by Terrepin Beer Co. in Athens, GA). I also tried their porter, which was fairly light and subtle in flavor.

The food selection is mostly typical bar food, with a few unique items, such as the Onion Tart that I ordered. It was definitely homemade, with a rich and creamy taste; served with a large salad of mixed greens. My companion also ordered a plate of onion rings, of which I partook in. Wow, I am not much for deep fried food, but the batter was perfectly seasoned and coated thick slices of fresh sweet onion. The batter was a bit thick for me, but the flavor was so good I was easily able to look past that. The biggest gripe I would have is that they served them with ketchup!  It just didn't do the rings justice.